Use Caution with Teething Tablets

Because of my nursing background, I'm always checking out the back of the box for ingredients. I had heard a friend talk about the success she had using "Humphrey's Teething Tablets" and decided to pick up a box at the local pharmacy while I was out. On the box they advertise that they are "all natural" and "homeopathic" teething relievers.

I need to add a side note at this point:

In general, I like using alternatives to drugs and when I do, I use them as little as possible, however, what most people do not realize is that herbs and other "natural ingredients" are actually drugs, by definition. "A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function"(definition found HERE.).and they can be just as potent or more so than what you will find with a prescription at the pharmacy. Please use caution when using natural remedies. Do your homework.

I got home and looked at the list of ingredients and became concerned. The first ingredient that concerned me was "Belladonna", also known as "Deadly Nightshade". You can conclude from the former nickname that it isn't a substance to be taken lightly. Below I have added some information about "Belladonna"; how it works and why it is dangerous.

Atropa belladonna or Atropa bella-donna, commonly known as Belladonna, Devil's Berries, Death Cherries or Deadly Nightshade, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Solanaceae, native to Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. The foliage and berries are extremely toxic, containing tropane alkaloids. These toxins include scopolamine and hyoscyamine which cause a bizarre delirium and hallucinations,^[1] and are also used as pharmaceutical anticholinergics (See below for definition of an Anticholinergic agent). The drug atropine (See below for definition of Atropine) is derived from the plant.

It has a long history of use as a medicine, cosmetic, and poison. Before the Middle Ages, it was used as an anesthetic for surgery, the ancient Romans used it as a poison (the wife of Emperor Augustus and the wife of Claudius both used it to murder contemporaries) and predating this it was used to make poison tipped arrows. The genus name "atropa" comes from Atropos, one of the three Fates in Greek mythology, and the name "bella donna" is derived from Italian and means "beautiful woman". (The above is from Wikipedia.com and can be found HERE.)

An anticholinergic agent is a substance that blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and the peripheral nervous system. An example of an anticholinergic is dicycloverine, and the classic example is atropine (See below for definition of Atropine). Anticholinergics are a class of medications that inhibit parasympathetic nerve impulses by selectively blocking the binding of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to its receptor in nerve cells. The nerve fibers of the parasympathetic system are responsible for the involuntary movements of smooth muscles present in the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, lungs, etc. (The above is from Wikipedia.com and can be found HERE.)

Atropine is a tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a drug with a wide variety of effects. It is a competitive antagonist for the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. It is classified as an anticholinergic drug. Being potentially deadly, it derives its name from Atropos, one of the three Fates who, according to Greek mythology, chose how a person was to die. (The above is from Wikipedia.com and can be found HERE.)

Moms, please don't make medical decisions based off of opinions and well meaning suggestions. Do your own research and trust your instincts.

Teething tablets are drugs. I don't say that to scare anyone. I only want to draw the necessary attention to it. The actual ingredients in them are concerning. We, as parents, need to really consider everything that we give our kids because it can seriously effect their health and well-being, even their brain development.

These are the ingredients in Humphrey's (FYI: Hyland's teething tablets were recalled because they were not regulating the amount of these dangerous ingredients in their product which could be damaging and even fatal to our babies)

Active Ingredients:
Calcarea Phosphorica (Calcium Phosphate) 3X HPUS
Chamomilla (Chamomile) 3X HPUS
Coffea Cruda (Coffee) 3X HPUS
Belladonna 3X HPUS (Alkaloids 0.0003%).

Inactive Ingredients:
Lactose N.F.

Calcium phosphate can be found in some cosmetic products, as well as many industrial chemicals and cements. It is poisonous in large doses. (google for more information)

Chamomile is derived from a plant, either Anthemus nobilis or Matricaria recutita. It has long been used for its sedative effects. Since it is a member of the daisy family, anyone allergic to this family, such as ragweed, should not use it. (for more info see http://wilkes1.wilkes.edu/~kklemow/Matricaria.html)

Coffea Cruda is unroasted coffee (i.e. caffeine) "Caffeine works by changing the chemistry of the brain. It blocks the action of a natural brain chemical that is associated with sleep." - http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/caffeine-awake.htm

"It's important to know that caffeine is an addictive drug. Among its many actions, it operates using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin use to stimulate the brain. Relatively speaking, caffeine's effects are milder than amphetamines, cocaine and heroin, but it is manipulating the same channels in the brain, and that is one of the things that gives caffeine its addictive qualities." - http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/caffeine1.htm

Belladonna is also known as Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna). It is "one of the most toxic plants to be found in the Western hemisphere. Children have been poisoned by as few as three of the berries, and a small leaf thoroughly chewed can be a fatal dose for an adult. The root, however, is often the most toxic part, though this can vary from one specimen to another." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belladonna).

Here is a link to more information on "belladonna" the plant, also known as "deadly nightshade" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belladonna_%28plant%29

I worked as a nurse in the new born nursery and NICU and I know how seriously we consider and monitor any medications/drugs being given to babies. Their little bodies and all the organs in them are so immature. They do not have the ability to process drugs and toxins like an adult body would. Any drug you give them runs the risk of building up in their system and becoming toxic.

I called a friend of mine, who is a nurse in the OR and PACU and asked her about "belladonna" since I know it has medicinal use for adults. She said they use it with an opiate (very strong pain reliever) for cancer patients, as a last resort drug for pain from bowel spasms, meaning nothing else is working well enough. In the hospital, medications are kept on the floor where nurses can easily access them through-out their shift, as they are needed. This medication, however, is so dangerous that it is carefully monitored and must be walked down from the pharmacy by the pharmacist himself anytime a patient needs this medication. It has some serious possible side effects. She said they rarely use it.

The FDA has received reports of "serious adverse events in children taking this product (Hyland's Teething Tablets) that are consistent with belladonna toxicity."

Symptoms of belladonna poisoning are depressed level of consciousness, seizure, difficulty or slowed breathing, lethargy, sleepiness, muscle weakness, skin flushing, constipation, difficulty urinating, and agitation.

You can read the full article here: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20101025/hylands-teething-tablets-recall-possible-poisoning-risk

Other risks are listed here: http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-56595-belladonna.aspx?drugid=56595&drugname=belladonna&source=1&pagenumber=6

Two of the major side effects of belladonna are constipation and decreased sweating. Now these may seem like no big deal, but as a medical professional they are concerning to me.

Constipation can lead to hard stools which can cause inflammation and tearing of the intestinal tract. Tearing causes loss of small amounts of blood that may not be visible to the naked eye but result in losses of iron and other vital components for healthy blood which provides nutrients and oxygen to the baby's vital organs including the brain.

Constipation also means that baby is not eliminating waste which means his/her body cannot get the toxins out of his/her body effectively.

Decreased sweating is dangerous. It doesn't sound bad, but it is. Especially if the baby happens to be teething or has a cold and is running a fever. Sweating is how the body regulates temperature. Babies bodies are immature, and do not regulate temperature very well on their own, but if you give them a drug that causes them to sweat less then you are making it that much harder on their little body and potentially causing their fever to spike higher which can lead to other very harmful effects such as febrile seizures, to say the least.

What is also concerning about "belladonna" is that it chemically affects the brain. A baby's brain is rapidly growing and developing, so much so that by the age of 5 years old, 96% of a baby's brain development is completed.

Babies have been teething for hundreds of years and there are safe remedies to help them during this time. And as a mom, I totally understand wanting to comfort your little one when they are in pain. I have a baby, too and I would do just about anything to make him feel better when he is hurting. But with everything there are PROS and CONS. You need to ask yourself, do the benefits outweigh the risks? Do I know enough about what this drug may be doing to decide if the benefits outweigh the risks? Is the harm worth the potential pain relief?

Also, remember that this phase will pass. Teething doesn't last forever (though sometimes it feels like it). Talk to a pharmacist at a local drug store. They are very knowledgeable on all types of drugs and their side effects. They are also very willing to help you and give you information. Just ask. Also talk to your pediatrician. No matter which side they are on, ask them why they recommend either using or not using the homeopathic teething pellets. Always ask why.

We live in a day and age where science can prove things with research and studies. Don't rely on opinion. Ask for facts.

And finally, go with your gut. When all else fails, you are a Mom and you can trust that your instincts are valid. Do what feels right and best for your baby.